Who would have thought that Keene, N.H. has the best food I have ever tasted; Capt. Crunch Chicken Tenders tossed in honey barbecue sauce with a side of large hand-cut fries from Local Burger.
This year for Valentine’s Day my partner and I took a trip to Local Burger to get those sweet tenders. When you first walk into the building you cannot help but be taken with the cute vibe. The floors are checkered, it is an open space and while I do not have a sense of smell, I have been told it is wonderful.
If you decide to get the chicken tenders and large fries you will pay $8.99 and $4.99, respectively. You will get six tenders and a sizable portion of fries. As for the value, my partner and I always split the food and have always walked out full.
As for the food itself, you are brought a tray of the most mouth-watering chicken you have ever seen. During this visit we waited around 10-15 minutes, which is the wait time we normally have. It comes to you covered in sauce with more than enough to use for the fries. Biting into your first Capt. Crunch Chicken Tender is only equivalent to winning the lottery.
The meat is warm and perfectly tender. The way the batter goes from crispy to soft is perfectly blended. The outside is hard and crispy without being annoying to bite into and the deeper your teeth go the softer it gets, until they meet in a state of bliss. They are sweet, tangy and simply taste incredible.
The fries this time around were disappointing. They are usually cut into fairly similar shapes allowing them to cook evenly but this time around they were a jumbled mess of shapes and sizes. Each fry had a different texture and crunch; they were disappointing but not bad. They still had that peanut-like taste and were perfectly salted, but were just too inconsistent.
When all was said and eaten, we walked out of Local Burger satisfied and full, as always. Based on my past visits, I would give the tenders 10/10 and fries 9/10. This time around, my rating for the tenders does not change, but the fries only get a 6/10.
During previous visits we have ordered the strawberry milkshake. While nothing too special, it is enjoyable. It was smooth and not too heavy. Strawberry milkshakes are usually hit-or-miss for me, but I can confidently say it was a 7/10.
My one critique for the Local Burger establishment lies with the bathrooms. There are two identical bathrooms, but are nonetheless gendered. Coupled with the lackluster condition they are normally in, Local Burger could improve in this area..
I would 100 percent recommend Local Burger, specifically the tenders, to anyone in the Keene area looking for a great meal in a cute place.
Harvie Marcotti can be contacted at
hmarcotti@kscequinox.com
